1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to various forms of cooking apparatus. More particular, the present invention relates to apparatus that are useful for the steaming of tamales. Additionally, the present invention relates to apparatus that facilitate the ability to efficiently steam tamales.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
A tamale is a traditional Latin American dish made of masa (a dough, usually corn-based), which is steamed or boiled in a leaf wrapper. The wrapping is discarded before eating the tamale. Tamales can then be filled with meats, cheese, fruits, vegetables, chilies or any preparation according to taste. Both the filling and the cooking liquid may be seasoned.
Traditionally, tamales have been prepared in a tamalera. This tamalera is a pan having a bottom surface with openings formed therein. Water can be introduced into a lower pan, below the holes so as to allow boiling water and to produce steam for the steaming of the tamales that are arranged in a pyramid-shaped pattern within the interior of the pan. Conventionally, the tamales in the tamalera will be overlying each other, stacked, pressing against one another, and arranged in a rather tight bundle. As such, it has been very difficult for steam to effectively contact all of the surfaces of each of the tamales within the tamalera. Often, certain tamales within the interior of the tamalera will be somewhat cool and not effectively steamed. Those portions of the tamales that receive a large amount of the steam may become overcooked. Often, the bottom edges of the husk that is used to wrap the tamales can become burnt. As such, they will tend to stick together when they are removed from the tamalera. As such, a need is developed so as to provide a tamale steamer that effectively steams the tamales arranged within the steamer in a consistent, effective and efficient manner.
In the past, a variety of patents have issued relating to food steaming devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,424, issued on Mar. 23, 1993 to N. B. Guajaca, is a tamale steamer. This tamale steamer is generally in the form of a tamalera. This steamer has a rack capable of supporting the tamales at an inclined orientation. The rack is provided with a number of horizontal tiers or assemblies each constructed of rings joined by radially-positioned spokes. Corresponding rings within each of the rack's assemblies increase in size from the top to the bottom of the rack so as to establish conically-shaped surfaces upon which the comestibles are then positively supported at an incline. The spokes connecting the rings at each of the assemblies are vertically-oriented one above the other and divide the racks into separate receptacles for segregating food during cooking Two or more racks may be stacked within the steamer's open-top vessel so as to increase the cooking capacity.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,167,799, issued on Jan. 2, 2001 to M. A. Macias, teaches a tamale and vegetable steaming device. This steaming device has a cylindrical pot portion having an open upper end and a closed lower end. A cylindrical insert is positionable within the cylindrical pot portion. The cylindrical insert has an open upper end, a closed lower end, and a cylindrical side wall therebetween. The cylindrical side wall has a plurality of apertures therethrough in a spaced relationship. The insert is positionable within the pot portion whereby the closed lower end of the insert is elevated above the closed lower end of the pot portion. The insert has a flattened arc portion extending a height thereof. The flattened arc portion creates a separation between the insert and the pot portion whereby water can be added to the pot portion through the separation.
U.S. Design Pat. No. D547,602, issued on Jul. 31, 2007 to Yamasaki et al., shows a steaming plate for a rice cooker. This streaming plate has a plurality of large openings and several small apertures formed therethrough. The feet associated with the large openings are suitable for allowing steam to pass through the openings in the plate for the steaming of rice.
U.S. Design Pat. No. D607,265, issued on Jan. 5, 2010 to M. Gaunaurd, shows a food steamer in which a pot is provided having a base having a plurality of holes formed therein. The base is located above a pan portion. As such, water can be placed into the pan portion so that, upon boiling, steam will pass outwardly through the openings at the bottom of the pot.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,698, issued on Apr. 26, 1988 to P. M. Allaire, discloses an apparatus for steaming food. Food suspended within a compartment of the apparatus is cooked by steam rising from a reservoir of boiling water below. After passing through the food compartment, steam collects in a dome-shaped lid where it condenses to water and then flows by means of a gutter device below the lid into channels along the food compartment walls in order to return to the reservoir without contacting the food.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,656, issued on Jan. 8, 1991 to E. Stone, describes a steamer having a food tray with a stepped sidewall to provide a subjacent section of lesser cross-sectional area than its upper section. An internal cover is received within the upper section of the food tray and it is slidably received against the interior sidewalls of the upper section so as to permit adjustment of its level in the upper section whereby the volume of the food compartments beneath the internal cover can be fixedly adjusted. The steaming vessel also has an exterior cover that has a hot plate with peripheral downwardly dependent side walls which are received within the open upper edges of the food tray.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,139, issued on Oct. 6, 1998 to G. Scorta Paci, describes a steam cooking device that has a pot-like body defining a space for containing food. The body has a central chimney-like projection with one or more holes at its upper end for the passage of steam and an obturator for controlling the diffusion of the steam. In use, the device is fitted in the top of a pan containing a certain amount of water and is closed at the top by a lid. The steam produced during the heating of the water is diffused, to an extent which can be regulated by the obturator, through the hole in the chimney-like projection into the space in which the food is disposed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,104, issued to Sham et al., provides a food steamer that has a base unit that supports a removable food steaming cabinet and a removable adjacent water supply tank. The food steamer appliance also features automatic water flow regulation from the water supply tank, and continual steam supply from the base unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,025,007, issued on Sep. 27, 2011 to R. L. Boyer, teaches a turkey fryer with vertically stacking cooking racks. A pot-shaped basket is provided with a plurality of stackable cooking racks. The stackable cooking racks have flat screen bodies and spaced handles which project vertically from the screens and which concomitantly provide a loop for handling each rack and for spacing apart adjacent stacked racks. A bottommost cooking rack further includes feet which raise the bottommost rack's screen above a bottom wall of the basket when inserted therein.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tamale steamer apparatus that can efficiently and effectively steam tamales.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a tamale steamer apparatus which effectively supports the tamales in a vertical orientation in generally spaced relationship to each other.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tamale steamer apparatus that can be easily placed into a pan of water.
It is a further object to the present invention to provide a tamale steamer apparatus which is stackable so as to increase capacity.
It is a further object to the present invention to provide a tamale steamer apparatus which assures that the husk of the tamale remains closed during the steaming process.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tamale steamer apparatus which effectively retains the juices of the tamale within the husk during the steaming process.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tamale steaming apparatus which avoids any burning or charring of the husk or any overcooking of the tamale.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a tamale steamer apparatus which is easy to use, easy to manufacture and relatively inexpensive.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.